Friday, September 6, 2024

The Secret Truth

 



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Barry Finlay will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Retired investigative journalist Jake Scott narrowly avoids a collision with a speeding car on his way to a Bed and Breakfast where he plans to spend the night. Moments before his arrival, the peaceful atmosphere at the B&B is shattered by a devastating explosion, claiming the lives of five guests. While authorities initially chalk it up to a tragic gas leak, seasoned homicide detective Dani Perez can't shake her suspicions. Given her overloaded schedule, she enlists Jake's expertise to delve into the backgrounds of the deceased. As Jake pursues the investigation, he unearths a web of secrets hinting at a darker truth lurking beneath the surface of the seemingly idyllic B&B.

my review...

This was a good story. It’s the first Jake Scott book I’ve read. Jake’s an investigative reporter, retired in this book, but still seems eager to get in the middle of things. He doesn’t have to look far in this book since a B&B he’s staying in is blown to bits. Fortunately for him, he was out at the time. Unfortunately for the other residents, they weren’t.

As I said, this is a good story. While it has your normal “cop” included, he is a she, and Dani seems on the way to a relationship with Jake who lost his wife some time ago. So, there’s a little romance but not anything too deep nor embarrassing. It has a well-drawn plot; most everything moves along smoothly and is not easily solvable.

I did have one problem with this book. It does not detract from the story enough to give it a low rating, but the author tends to use the character names repetitively in dialogs. When it is obvious to the reader that only two people exist in a room, the use of “Ok Jake” “Want more wine Dani” “Fine Jake” “Should we have something to eat Dani” “Good idea Jake” makes what really is a good story quite choppy. It doesn’t exist anywhere except in dialog sections.

I have not read the previous Jake Scott stories and am only commenting on this particular book. As I also said, it did not detract enough to stop reading. In fact, the story was good enough to check out the other books.



Read an Excerpt


The sound of a car engine starting in the distance interrupted the calm of the night. Warm rubber on pavement chirped as the car pulled away. A dog barked at the sudden sound. Oblivious to the revving engine, Jake jaywalked to the other side of the street about halfway down the block at exactly the time the car careened around the corner. The headlights bounced off the corner house and veered in Jake’s direction. A giant spotlight might as well have turned on him. For a split second, Jake stopped in mid-stride, staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed as the two brilliant headlights bore down on him at lightning speed.

Only instinct saved him. He leaped for the grassy area bordering the street as the car roared past, its engine screaming. Jake swore the driver’s front corner bumper grazed the heel of his shoe an instant before his body thudded on the unforgiving ground. First, his knees, followed by his arms, and then his face completed the maneuver. The gym bag he launched during his dive landed with a dull smack on the sidewalk.

Jake turned his head to watch the car from his prone position, but all he could tell as the vehicle raced around the corner at the end of the block was that it was big and dark. For a second, streetlights glinted off the wheel disks and reflected off the passenger side windows. Then it disappeared. He moaned and, without moving his extended arm, raised his middle finger in the general direction of the car’s path. While the car and its driver had vanished, the gesture gave him a measure of satisfaction.

 

About the Author:

Barry Finlay is the award-winning author of the travel adventure, Kilimanjaro and Beyond – A Life-Changing Journey (with his son Chris), the Amazon bestselling travel memoir, I Guess We Missed The Boat, the inspirational Just Keep Climbing, and five Amazon bestselling and award-winning thrillers comprising The Marcie Kane Thriller Collection: The Vanishing Wife, A Perilous Question, Remote Access, Never So Alone, and The Burden of Darkness. His new Jake Scott Mystery Series debuted with Searching ForTruth and The Guardians of Truth. He is now following that up with The Secret Truth. Barry was featured in the 2012-13 Authors Show’s edition of “50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading.” He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal for his fundraising efforts to help kids in Tanzania, Africa. Barry lives with his wife Evelyn in Ottawa, Canada.

Author Website: http://www.barry-finlay.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBarryFinlay
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Karver2

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